Models may not have the most stellar of reputations. In the past, many of those that grace big fashion shows are often known as divas – with the generalisation (whether accurate or not) being that they are narcissistic and self-centred.
The stereotype is changing though. Models have become socially conscious. Capitalising on their fame, these younger runway talents are increasingly speaking out to raise awareness on a range of subjects.
They are shining a light on the less-than-healthy practices that affect models. Eating disorders, drug and alcohol abuse or unwanted sexual advances are some of the problems being discussed.
It is not just about things in the industry though. These new-gen models are also focused on changing the world at large. Pushing for body positivity and diversity, for example. Or championing causes like “Black Lives Matter”.
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As fashion is becoming environmentally conscious, the people who represent the industry are quickly throwing their weight behind sustainability. Models are now advocates for living a green lifestyle, as well.
Social media has emerged as a wonderful platform for them to speak their mind. With followers amounting to millions on Instagram, Twitter or Snapchat, their voice can certainly make a difference.
Even big names of the 1980s and 90s are getting on board. Supermodels of the era – some of which have sporadically come out of retirement – can be heard discussing serious issues that matter to today’s modern society.
Not afraid to speak out
One of the most prominent voices currently is Coco Rocha. The 32-year-old Canadian runway star has made it her personal mission to improve working conditions for models entering the industry after her.
Acting like a big sister, she gives lessons to do with interpreting contracts that models are presented with for jobs – and how to deal with abusive photographers who bully girls to strip naked, or worse.
Rocha is basically prepping models to better stand up for themselves. She also wants them to value their self-worth and be brave in a world that will inevitably try to destroy their confidence.
“I really want them to break out of these shells where they get very nervous, or they’ve been told a thousand times over [that] they’re not good enough because of their skin, their height, their weight, their age, ” she told modelling website Backstage recently.
Rocha, who was scouted at an Irish dance competition in 2002, said that models in the past had no “voice”. This changed with social media, where it allowed anyone to effectively speak up and out.
She added that people believe modelling is glamorous, but they are unaware of the horror stories. She thinks sexual harassment in the industry is usually based off what everyone falsely perceives as art – resulting in excuses being made.
“I always have to remind these new models, especially at model camp: ‘Use social media wisely. Have fun, for sure. But it is definitely a tool for your brand and business.’ And it is important that we share our opinions and point of views.”
Paloma Elsesser, named “Model Of The Year” for 2020 by specialty website models.com, is extremely forward about her views. The British-born Swiss-American plus-size model has been vocal about issues of inclusivity.
When Elsesser made it to the cover of US Vogue’s January 2021 issue, she celebrated on Instagram. She called for fashion to not stop the momentum, until bodies and experiences like hers are “no longer radical, no longer different, no longer rare”.
“I want to see bigger bodied femmes, dark skin femmes, disabled people, and all the iterations of identity that have left so many alone in media. I want this moment to render a new year of possibility and a lifetime of hope.”
Elsesser, 29, was also included in Time Magazine’s “100 Next” list early this year. It recognised her as one of the rising stars shaping the future of modelling and changing perceptions of beauty.
Ashley Graham, a fellow plus-size model, is full of praises. She wrote in Time Magazine that the world needs more role models like Elsesser to “tell young people that they are beautiful and worthy in the skin they are in”.
“She challenges the norm and refuses to conform to what society has set as the typical beauty standard. She reminds her friends, colleagues and fans to constantly be loud and take up space.”
Elsesser’s Instagram bio proves just that. Doing away with the usual verbose description and whatnots, it simply states: “Some girls are bigger than others”. Bold and straight to the point.
Standing by their principles
Russian model Natalia Vodianova is passionate about the environment. She has been heavily investing in a lot of different tech start-ups after making it big in fashion, of which a majority leans towards sustainability.
Her Masuku face mask, for instance, is a hardcover reusable design fitted with a patented and compostable nano-fibre filter. She sees it as a solution to what she calls the current “plastic horror” people are wearing.
She explained her decision: “But with this kind of technology, people will make better choices. Almost all the tech companies that we invest in are, in one way or another, bettering the world.”
Vodianova is a philanthropist at heart. She invested in Elbi in 2015, a philanthropic social platform that allowed users to support various causes and make a donation with just the click of a button.
Earlier this year, Vodianova, 39, was named the United Nations (UN) goodwill ambassador. She will be a campaigner for the UN Population Fund, which now calls itself the UN’s sexual and reproductive health agency, known as UNFPA.
“I look forward to continuing my work to tackle the myths and taboos that billions of women, girls and vulnerable young people have to live with and raise the standards of women’s health and dignity, ” she was quoted as saying at the press conference.
Vodianova was raised in poverty by a single mother with a half-sister who has cerebral palsy and autism. She joined a modelling agency in Paris at age 17, where she eventually went on to become one of the new millennium’s most successful models.
Naomi Campbell, a legend in her own right, has also been more vocal about social issues in recent years. The British model, whose career peaked in the late 1980s, is not going anywhere – or staying silent.
She is lending her voice to issues of racism, both on and off the runway. She believes the “Black Lives Matter” campaign is altering fashion and beauty industries, but does not want it to be temporary.
When Campbell opened the first digital version of couture week in Paris last year, she gave a powerful speech that called for effective action in delivering diversity within the mega industry.
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She said that the fight for diversity and for equality has been a long journey in society and in the fashion industry. Her belief is that there is still a long way to go and everyone needs to call the fashion world to task.
“The time has come to build a more equitable industry with a good form of checks and balances. It is now more than ever compulsory to include them in a permanent way and not a transient one.”
Campbell, along with others like Rocha, Elsesser and Vodianova, are just some of the many within the modelling industry trying to change the perceptions of society. Models are no longer content on just being seen. They are also fighting to be heard.
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